BHUBANESWAR: When Cupid’s arrow strikes, geographical boundaries can be breached; reasoning and fear of life can wait. This youth from Odisha’s Balasore district proved that by entering neighboring East Medinipur district in hotspot West Bengal to marry the girl he was dating for the past few months.
His romantic adventure, however, was short-lived as he tested positive three weeks after his marriage. Luckily though, his wife and sister-in-law have tested negative but a sense of fear has gripped the villagers who attended his wedding feast.
All this happened when the Government had banned large gatherings in social events. Now a puzzled administration has traced at least 160 contacts and sent their swab samples for tests. Since he had mingled with many despite lockdown restrictions, thrown parties among friends and even participated in paddy harvesting along with others, further contact tracing is on.
The 27-year-old, a native of Palasia village under Bhogarai block works in Bengaluru and had returned home a few days before nationwide lockdown was imposed as his marriage was fixed for April 17. He had met his wife on a social media site and love bloomed.
Against Government instruction that no public function can be attended by more than 10 persons, he took around 30 baratis in 16 bikes to his in-laws’s house in Ramnagar block in WB where his marriage was solemnised. He returned with his newly-wed wife and sister-in-law. And, the infection. He had arranged his wedding cleverly as local PRI members and health workers had no clue.
Youth goes to WB to marry, returns with infection
“It came to the fore only after neighbours informed the local Asha worker. He had avoided the main road to escape notice of security personnel and took the narrow lane through paddy fields to reach his in-law’s village, nine km away,” said Sunil Kar, panchayat aamiti member of Sunadharabasan.
On May, when swab samples of the youth, his wife and sisterin- law were collected, he tested positive. After the word spread, his friends and villagers, who had attended the wedding and feast volunteered for test.
“We are worried about his father who is a heart patient. The parents’ test reports along with other villagers are expected on Friday. We hope for the best,” said Kar. Balasore Sub Collector Nilu Mohapatra said the area has been declared as a containment zone.
“Contact tracing is on. The youth is asymptomatic and has been admitted to the Covid hospital,” he added.
The district administration has enforced a week-long shutdown till May 19 in six villages under the panchayat to intensify containment measures. Entry and exit have been completely banned.